Narendra Modi: Congress and Pakistan want similar things

Narendra Modi

Latur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that Congress had lost its right to speak about human rights since it had "taken away the citizenship and voting rights of Late Balasaheb Thackeray" in the past. He also said that the thinking of Congress and its allies is anti-India and have become strikingly similar to that of Pakistan.

"You (Congress) will have to answer to every Indian down to the last person. Talking about human rights doesn't suit the Congress as you were the party which had taken away the Late Balasaheb Thackeray's citizenship and right to vote," PM Modi said at a public rally in Latur.

"The thinking of Congress and its allies is against the country. There is a striking similarity between what Congress and Pakistan want. Congress wants to hold dialogue with separatists in Kashmir, this is exactly what Pakistan wants. Congress has announced that those who speak against the country, speak about breaking the country will not be charged with sedition. Sedition law will be removed. Pakistan too wants the same. Congress also wants to remove the special powers granted to armed forces in the sensitive areas, a move which Pakistan would gladly welcome," he said.

He went on to attack Congress for its manifesto promise of keeping Article 370 intact, adding that if Congress had the "intelligence and guts" back in 1947, Pakistan and the whole Kashmir issue would never have come up.

"Congress talks about keeping Article 370 intact in its manifesto. If you had the intelligence and guts back in 1947, Pakistan wouldn't even have been formed," he said.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and several other prominent faces from BJP and Shiv Sena were also present at the Latur rally.

Prime Minister Modi also said that Uddhav Thackeray was like his younger brother and assured that together BJP and Shiv Sena will take Maharashtra further on the path of development.

Maharashtra will see polling on April 11, 18, 23 and 29 in the seven-phased Lok Sabha elections beginning April 11. The results will be declared on May 23.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates